State News

10:31 am

Mon August 18, 2014

Quinn Wants State Police To Review ACLU Report On Consent Searches

Governor Pat Quinn doesn't have plans to unilaterally halt consent searches by the state police he oversees.

Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union released results of a study showing minorities are more often victims of the police searches than white motorists.

During a stop in Bloomington, Quinn says he's willing to consider the report and share it with state police and all law enforcement in Illinois.

"I think we always want to be careful with respect to respecting everyone's rights, making sure everything is done properly and under our constitution."

Quinn didn't directly answer a question about whether he would order State Police Director Hiram Grau to halt trooper consent searches.

The ACLU report found, across Illinois, African-American and Latino drivers are asked by police for consent to search their vehicles at nearly twice the rate of white drivers. But white drivers are 50-60% more likely to have contraband discovered during a search.

During a stop in Normal, Republican candidate for governor Bruce Rauner said he wasn't aware of the study.